BSP nominee in a by-poll last year joins SP

Patels wife Sushma is a sitting MLA from Jaunpurs Mungra Badshahpur constituency, and was a BSP member until she was suspended from the party last October.Singh, a former state commission officer, was the BSP nominee from Pratapgarh Sadar seat in the by-election in 2019.

Ranjit Singh Patel, who was a BSP nominee in an Assembly by-poll last year, Saturday joined the rival Samajwadi Party in the presence of its chief Akhilesh Yadav here, the SP said in a release. Patel's wife Sushma is a sitting MLA from Jaunpur's Mungra Badshahpur constituency, and was a BSP member until she was suspended from the party last October.

Singh, a former state commission officer, was the BSP nominee from Pratapgarh Sadar seat in the by-election in 2019. His parents were MLAs from Madiyahon seat of Jaunpur. When asked about her husband joining the SP, Sushma said, ''I had contested on a BSP ticket, but the party has suspended me. I will remain with my family’s decision.'' She said she is not going to join any party. ''As of now, I don't have to go in any party. I am serving the people of my constituency.'' Last year, during the Rajya Sabha elections, some BSP MLAs had withdrawn support to the party's official nominee terming their signatures on his nomination papers forged. In response, the BSP supremo had on October 29 suspended seven MLAs, including Sushma Patel.